Warning-summary gives away the plot

Mary and Collin, an unmarried couple of seven years on vacation, go to a city, which from the descriptions is Venice. They have an acceptable to good relationship. They have a certain form of intimacy and passion that works for them.

In the city, one evening, they get lost and are aided by a strange man, strange in his actions. He is Robert. Robert, for the couple to spend the night, takes them to his home, which is like a museum. He has a wife, Caroline, who seems to be the victim of marital abuse. Caroline and Robert's relationship is peculiar and so is the way Robert takes and hides couple's clothes while they sleep. He has told Caroline not to give them back until they agree to stay the day there until Robert arrives from work, which he owns a bar.

In this first encounter a few other peculiar incidents happen.

Still a few days later, Mary and Collin visit the couple again, to find the couple have packed up and will leave the city to visit Caroline's family. Robert takes Collin to his bar and Caroline serves tea to Mary, which is drugged. While Mary is under the influence, Caroline explains to her the nature of her and Robert's sadomasochistic relationship. Robert and Colin return.

Caroline aids Robert to slash Colin's wrists as the drugged and paralyzed Mary watches in horror. Mary later wakes up in the hospital to find that Collin has died, and Robert and Caroline have left. The police tell her that this type of a crime is very common in this city.

I found the writing to be exceptionally skillful and the storytelling masterful, but the plot is downright sick. I could condone the sadomasochism to a degree, but since when murder is erotic?

I have read Amsterdam and Atonement by the same author and thought they were amazing, but the plot of this book is over the top for me.

the author's writing skills and his usage of the language

the plot or the characters

is Ian Mc Ewan, an award-winning British author whose books have been made into movies. Some of his other books are: Atonement, collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, and The Child in Time

the descriptions are exquisite and the writing shows mastery, but read at your own risk.

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Created Jun 02, 2014 at 7:05pm • Submit your own review...